By Andrew Warshaw
December 3 – FIFA’s World Cup anti-corruption probe appears no nearer to being resolved after the organisation confirmed that ethics investigator Michael Garcia has gone ahead with his appeal against what he claims were “incomplete and erroneous” published findings of his 430-page report.
Late last month, Garcia met his ethics committee counterpart, German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, to thrash out their differences over the interpretation of the report and agreed to turn the entire file over to Domenico Scala, chairman of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee, to further examine the case in-house.
It had been speculated that the clear-the-air talks, plus the intervention of Scala, might persuade Garcia not to proceed with his appeal.
But that is clearly now a non-starter judging by a brief statement from FIFA to Insideworldfootball which said merely that “FIFA can confirm that the appeal process is in progress” without providing a time frame.
Quite why Garcia is still digging in his heels is unclear especially as the names of five individuals reported to be facing disciplinary sanctions have now been published. Speculation is that, far from clearing Russia and Qatar of wrongdoing in clinching the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, there is evidence to incriminate them that was not published in Eckert’s 42-page summation of Garcia’s full findings.
Garcia has given no explanation of the grounds for his appeal or where he believes Eckert’s report summary is at fault.
A further complication is to what extent, with Garcia’s appeal ongoing, Scala will have the authority to discuss the probe with members of FIFA’s executive committee in Marrakesh later this month.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734840541labto1734840541ofdlr1734840541owedi1734840541sni@w1734840541ahsra1734840541w.wer1734840541dna1734840541